Virtual Reality is one of those inventions that creates a huge foray of attention in a lot of industries. Because it’s potential is so vast it’s a first over the finish line race to capitalise on the technology and find a way to revolutionise your business or product.

One of the reasons virtual reality exceeds is that it creates an immersive and escapist environment. Where once this would have been associated with lazy video game players and other ‘useless’ activity new industries are taking advantage of the technology and using it to benefit their businesses and customer base. Here are just some of the industries taking advantage of virtual reality and using it to innovate.

Education

They say you learn more from experience than you do from reading out of a textbook or listening to a teacher. Schools across the country have opted to invest in virtual reality technology to deliver students young and old with immersive lessons that place students at the centre of stories, where decisions can be made to both educate and explore. For example, imagine a history student learning about Ancient Greek civilisation, rather than reading out of textbooks, students can engage with virtual reality and transport themselves through a VR headset deep into a historical moment.

We’re a long way off before we get this sort of technology across all classrooms but it offers food for thought on the possibilities of what can arise from this technology through intense funding and infrastructural planning.

The online gaming and e-gaming industries are one of the most recent markets to capitalise on virtual reality technology. Reports suggest that gambling wagers are set to rise from around $58 million per year to roughly $520 million per year by 2021. Perhaps the closest we have to VR gambling at the moment is live virtual casinos. Live casinos enable you to play from the comfort of your own home while playing with a live visible dealer through a VR headset.

Scott Manford, CEO of Wizard Slots said: “At Wizard Slots we welcome any new technology that is going to push the industry forward and offer our customers a more immersive gameplay experience. Virtual Reality is still in its infancy within the gambling sector so it will be interesting to see how the technology develops.”

“The most pleasing progression would be to see gambling companies and casinos working together with the VR industry to develop online slot games that are both efficient and cost-effective for the average player. If we look at the quality of some of the branded video slots we already possess you can only imagine the scope that VR will have on the Gambling industry.”

Because VR is such a new technology predictions suggest that this technology in the gambling industry will take a while to implement across the broader landscape. Some smartphone companies now have VR headsets that can be applied to headsets which could offer a remote casino experience like no other.

Advertising

It’s no surprise that the advertising industry are taking advantage of VR to market products to consumers. Advertising however, could also be something that could cross-reference a multitude of industries. If VR advertising can capitalise on the sensory weaknesses of humans then they can bridge the gap between TV and Print adds to create a marketing method that customers simply can’t turn down. Similarly though, the roadblocks come with the battle for cost-effectivity and the implementation of this sort of technology on a mass, accessible scale.

What’s next?

Oculus, HTC, and Samsung are all leading the way in developing VR software and devices that can be applied to mass-market items but the question remains of how cost effective this will be and how necessary it is to the markets. Perhaps it’ll take a proven case study for industries to whole-heartedly get on board with virtual reality. But for now it remains a spectacle that is yet to be taken advantage of.

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Teaching Accessibility is a blog that profoundly tackles the integration of business, the web and technology. Over the years, business has drastically changed through technology. Technology makes it easier for companies to grow and adapt and reach new customers. Technology has also paved the way to the rise of new platforms that make it more convenient and easier for businesses to connect with their customers.